Bearing



y 1946- w. F. PITTMAN 2,399,339

BEARING Filed Aug. 23, 1945 IN V EN TOR Whrgli'fillman ATTORNEYS Patented May 7, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BEARING Walter F. Pittman, Portsmouth, Va.

Application August 23, 1943, Serial No. 499,702

1 Claim. (Cl. 308-67) My invention relates to bearings, particularly of the type employed in internal combustion engines for connecting the connecting rod with the crankpin, and has among its objects and advantages the provision of an improved segmental bearing so designed as to attain novel radial adjustment of the bearing segments with respect to the axis of the crankpin.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a view illustrating the bearing applied to a crankpin with a portion of the bearing broken away.

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the crankpin and the bearing.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2 but with the crankpin removed, and

Figure 4 is a face view of a bearing insert or cushioning segment.

In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration, a fragment of the connecting rod is illustrated at It, the connecting rod being provided with a segment I! curving through an arc of substantially 90 degrees. Three cooperating segments I4, I 6 and I8 are associated with the segment l2. The segment I8 is also curved throughout an arc of substantially 90 degrees and includes an extension 20 overlying one side of the connecting rod l adjacent the segment l2. A shallow recess 22 is provided in the connecting rod Ill and the extension 20 has a face 24 lying in the recess 22, with a shim 26 positioned between the bottom face of the recess 22 and the face 24. The segments l4 and it are also respectively curved through arcs of substantially 90 degrees.

A transverse opening 28 is provided in the connecting rod in for the reception of a bolt 30 extending through a bore 32 in the extension 20, so that the extension may be clamped firmly to the connecting rod. Lugs 34 are provided on the segments l2, l4, l6 and I8, which lugs are provided with openings 36 for the reception of bolts 38, and shims 40 are interposed between the grouped lugs so that all the segments may be bore 10 in the segment 46.

lugs 54 on the segments 42 through 48 and extending through openings 56 in the cushioning segments. Recesses 58 are provided in the segments I2 through it for accommodating the lugs 54, the lugs fitting with suilicient looseness to permit the segments 42 through 48 to be shifted relatively to the segments l2 through l8 as when the bearing is being adjusted to the crankpin 50.

Figure 4 illustrates the outside face of one of the segments 52. All the segments are of the same general construction. Ribs 60 are located at the ends of the segment and have engagement with the convexed face of its respective outer segment. The concaved face of the segment has 100 per cent contact with the convexed side of its inner segment. Bodies 62 are provided on the segment, which bodies are of the same thickness as the ribs ill, with the end bodies each having a length equalling about half the length of the center cushioning body. The opening 58 passes through the central cushioning body.

The segment I6 is provided with an oil scoop 64 having a bore 66 arranged coaxially with the bore 88 in one of the cushioning segments and a These bores are arranged substantially tangentially of the crankpin 50 and communicate with diverging grooves I2 in the concaved face of the segment 46. The segments l2 and 42 and the associated cushioning segment 52 are provided with aligned outlet openings 14.

An opening 16 is provided in the segment H which communicates with the space between the cushioning segment and the segment I 2. This permits oil to fill the spaces between the cushioning segments and the segments l2 through It, respectively, to function as a cushioning medium.

All the segments are adjustable endwise through shifting of the segments l2 through l8. as by increasing or decreasing the shim thickness between the coacting lugs 34. This construction permits the bearing to be adjusted radially of the crankpin throughout its circumference to the end that the bearing may be accurately fitted to the crankpin.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain my invention, that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service.

I claim:

The combination with a cylindrical body carried by a connecting rod, of a bearing mounted in said cylindrical body, said bearing comprising a plurality of segmental units arranged end to end circumferentially of the cylindrical body and adjustable radially with respect to the axis of the cylindrical body for increasing or decreasing the diameter of the bearing through relative endwise movement of the segmental units, said segmental units comprising inner and outer segments, cushioning segments between the inner and outer-segments, one of said outer segments being fixedly attached to said connecting rod, another of said outer segments being adjustably connected with said connecting rod, lugs on the other outer segm WALTER F. PI'ITMAN.- 

